The Iota Chapter of Alpha Delta Kappa (ADK) at Paine College inducted its newest members on Monday, April 20th, 2015 under the direction of Paine College Professor of Sociology, Dr. Philip Thomas. This International Sociology Honor Society has been a key feature of the Social Sciences Department since 1991 and a gateway for many student scholars to graduate school and service opportunities. Paine College Associate Professor and Chair of Social Sciences, Dr. Lawanda Cummings who spoke at the induction ceremony encouraged students to find the population or issue that stirs up a fire within that can light the path toward excellence in service and scholarship. An honor cord and certificate were bestowed to each student as a symbol of their academic achievements at Paine College and the expectation for them to further their academics pursuits. AKD is dedicated to the ideal of Anthropon Katamanthanein Diakonesein or "to investigate humanity for the purpose of service." Or "To study man for the purpose of service"

Today, Dr. Samuel Sullivan, Interim President, announced that Paine College will release 35 students due to non-payment of tuition. Some students have balances as high as $12,000 stretching over 18 months. Students were given adequate time to make payment arrangements and installments towards open balances since being notified in September 2014. The Office of Administrative and Fiscal Affairs worked diligently with students who were in non-compliance to establish payment plans that would allow them to remain in their classes. Students were notified in person through face-to-face financial counseling, letters, phone calls and via emails. In many cases, the Office of Student Affairs visited with students in their residential rooms to encourage them to meet with the Office of Administrative and Fiscal Affairs to establish payment plans. College officials made appeals to students during forums held by the Student Government Association to meet their financial obligations. Announcements were also made during Wednesday Assembly programs.

"Although this is unfortunate, we must protect the College’s financial future and work to be in compliance with the guidelines that were set forth by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)," said Dr. Sullivan.

"This is the last thing we want to do, but we must be held accountable," commented Dr. Sullivan who further stated that it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to pay their tuition by the College’s established deadlines.

College officials also contacted parents and guardians to inform them that students were released due to non-payment of outstanding balances and would be returning to their respective homes. The College has invited all of the affected students to satisfy their outstanding bills before reapplying for the fall 2015 term.

Paine College alumni are rallying support for their Alma Mater more now than ever. For the love of Paine, the alumni of the Augusta Chapter will host a day of fundraising for the College on Friday, April 24th. Alumni and friends are invited to visit the Alumni House located at 1208 Beman Street (West of the HEAL Complex) to drop off monetary donations in support of the Together, We Can Campaign for Paine. Augusta Commissioner Bill Fennoy invited the City to lend support to his Alma Mater and stated that the well-being of Paine College lends to the health of the Augusta community. Mayor Hardie Davis pitched in by declaring April 24, 2015 as Paine College Day. Radio personalities Minnesota Fattz and Cher Best will broadcast live from the Alumni House courtyard from 11-1 p.m. followed by Kydd Joe of Power 107 from 1-3 p.m.

The Augusta Alumni Chapter extends an invitation to the community to visit the Alumni House between the hours of 11-6 p.m. to purchase a delicious fish or BBQ chicken dinner at a cost of $10.00 per plate. Advanced purchases for the meal can be placed by contacting Mildred Kendrick (706)945.1362, Betty Tutt (706) 650-1004 or any member of the Augusta Alumni chapter.

Commissioner Fennoy said, "Paine College and her students are at the heart of everything we do in support of the institution. We need all of our alumni and friends to come together in support of this institution that has served the community and its people for 133 years. I am appealing to the community to do more than purchase a ten dollar plate of food; I am asking the public to invest in Paine College by writing a check payable to the Together, We Can Campaign."

Also, Paine alums are gearing up for the annual Alumni Reunion weekend celebration that will occur May 8th-10th. It is expected that Alumni will descend upon the campus to celebrate the accomplishments of the graduating class of 2015 and bear monetary gifts that will benefit the Together, We Can Campaign for Paine College.

An interdisciplinary team of Paine College faculty presented at Georgia Regents University's Mobilizing through the Media Women's and Gender Studies Conference on March 7th, 2015. Their presentation entitled "Justice Beyond the Classroom: The role of digital media in learning, creating, and acting on social issues" focused on the the integration of digital media in classroom and campus activities to promote student engagement in resolving social issues on campus and within the community.

As a generation that is constantly hooked into some form of the information superhighway, college students have access to immediate information and an unprecedented opportunity to contribute to a global conversation about social inequities throughout the world. According to Rawls (2003) social justice demands the assurance of equal access to liberties, rights, and opportunities, as well as taking care of the least advantaged members of society.

College students are still forming ideas about their identity, beliefs, and role in society and in all major moves in regards to social justice, this population has played a critical role in propagating new ideas and demanding a response from the government, the previous generations and the nation’s promise. The digital age provides a new forum for civic engagement far removed from the marches and sit-ins of the 1960s allowing greater access and the possibility for integration into classroom activities and assignments. Additionally the integration of history, literature, theory and action can be bridged through digital mediums to help each student function as informed voices on social media, blogs, and within the campus community.

The research panel included Dr. Lawanda Cummings (Social Sciences), Dr. LaShawnda Lindsay-Dennis (Education), Dr. Catherine Adams (Humanities) and Professor Teri Burnette (Media Studies). Each panelist presented pedagogical theory and examples of how the inclusion of digital media in the classroom promoted learning, reflecting (sankoka), unpacking, and an informed response to persistent social issues.

With recent accounts of growing racial tensions in Ferguson, New York City, and other cities across the country, and with the release of film “Selma,” civil rights and social justice is a hot topic on college campuses.During the 2015 Conference on the Black Experience (COBE) hosted annually at Paine College, three renown civil rights activists and scholars will discuss the activism of the past and of the present in conjunction with the release of their reader on the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s. The book talk and signing event for SOS—Calling All Black People (2014) will be held in Candler Memorial Library on Tuesday, April 28 at 7 p.m.All three co-editors, Sonia Sanchez, John H. Bracey, Jr., and James Smethurst will autograph patrons’ books.

Sonia Sanchez is a nationally and internationally known warrior, poet, activist, professor, and author, who was a friend and frequent collaborator of the late Amiri Baraka during the Black Arts Movement. Sanchez and Baraka, along with Nathan Huggins, launched the first Black Studies program at a predominantly white university at San Francisco State in the late 1960s. Last November, Sanchez visited Paine College as the featured keynote for the 2014 Conference on the Harlem Renaissance. At that time, Sanchez expressed an interest in returning to the campus with her co-editors of SOS—Calling All Black People to present a panel discussion currently touring across the country. She will also offer a poetry workshop on the campus in Candler on Tuesday at 12:15 p.m.

John H. Bracey, Jr. is currently a professor and chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst (UMA). Bracey was active in the Civil Rights, Black Liberation, and other radical movements of Chicago. As one of the earlier builders of the Afro-American Studies Program at UMA, he has collaborated on numerous publications, contributed editorial work on projects such as the Papers of the NAACP, Amiri Baraka, and the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs. He has also been instrumental in the establishing of the Ph.D. program in Afro-American Studies and the graduate certificate in African Diaspora Studies. At COBE, Bracey will share his knowledge and experience regarding activism with conference participants.

James Smethurst is also a professor in the Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Smethurst is a literary historian who has authored several books including: The New Red Negro: The Literary Left and African American Poetry, 1930-1946, The Black Arts Movement: Literary Nationalism in the 1960s and 1970s, and The African American Roots of Modernism: Reconstruction to the Harlem Renaissance. He is also the co-editor of Left of the Color Line: Race, Radicalism and Twentieth-Century Literature of the United States and Radicalism in the South since Reconstruction. During the visit to Paine College, Smethurst will talk with faculty about teaching and researching the literature of social justice.

The connecting thread between Paine College and these notable professors is Catherine L. Adams. She is an assistant professor of English in the Humanities Department at Paine, and is also a former student of Sanchez (who retired from Temple University), Bracey, and Smethurst. Says Adams, “It is a unique honor to introduce my students to the people who strongly influenced who I am and the issues we discuss in the classroom today.”

Augusta, GA - During the Paine College weekly assembly held in the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel on April 1, 2015, Interim President Samuel Sullivan addressed students, faculty, staff and alumni about the College’s on-site visit from its accrediting body. His announcement garnered a standing ovation and a round of applause. Dr. Sullivan reported that the visiting team representing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) presented a favorable preliminary report and indicated that the College was moving in the right direction. “The review team departed today and took with them six of the ten findings,” said Dr. Sullivan.

In 2014 and prior the review team’s visit to the campus, SACSCOC requested that the College demonstrate compliance with The Principles of Accreditation in several broad areas: governance, financial resources/stability, qualified administrative/academic officers, sponsored research/external funds, and institutional environment. Members of the College’s administration, faculty and staff carefully reviewed the SACSCOC standards and developed detailed Implementation Plans that included a reflective, systematic, and outcome focused action plan to ensure that the College produced an evidenced based written response to all concerns raised by SACSCOC.

During the three-day visit (March 29-April 1, 2015), the SACSCOC Special Committee interviewed the College’s administrators, faculty, staff, and students. During the exit interview, the SACSCOC representatives gave four recommendations that needed to be further addressed. These areas were included in the initial group of findings that were previously announced.

The oral report given by the Special Committee during the exit review is not final. Paine College will have an opportunity to review a draft of the SACSCOC report in approximately fourteen days. During the review of the draft report, the College will have an opportunity to respond to what it considers to be errors of fact. Following the College’s responses, SACSCOC will take the Institution’s responses under consideration and will prepare the final document and recommendations.

Dr. Sullivan expressed his appreciation to the Paine College Community and members of the Board of Trustees. He applauded the efforts made by the special in-house committee. The Paine committee addressed the initial findings during a nine-month period that resulted in six of the ten findings being satisfied. Dr. Sullivan also acknowledged the superlative efforts made by the Student Government Association during the process.

Rev. Luther B. Felder, II, campus pastor, commented about the positive outcome of the SACSCOC’s assessment of the College’s operation. “We are grateful to the community for keeping us in their prayers and offering their financial support to the College during this very challenging season. We are especially grateful to our faithful God who has heard our prayers and ministered to our needs.”

“Dr. Sullivan stated that the College should not be so quick to celebrate for there is much work to be done. “We have much to be thankful for, yet we must return to work,” said Dr. Sullivan. “It is critical that alumni and friends continue to support the Together, We Can Campaign that is designed to meet immediate needs for the College.” “Together, we can move Paine College to greater heights and ensure its survival.”

For more information about the Together, We Can Campaign for Paine College, visit www.paine.edu or contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 706.821.8233.

Paine College Philosopher Anthony Sean Neal’s new book, COMMON GROUND: A Comparison of the Ideas of Consciousness in the Writings of Howard W. Thurman and Huey P. Newton, is a scholarly comparison of the ideas of consciousness as a means of community development and social transformation in the writings of these two men. This new work can be purchased through Africa World Press.

This study examines the idea of consciousness as a phenomenal reality in the writings of Howard W. Thurman and Huey P. Newton. The purpose was to determine if there was confluence in the relationship between their usage of consciousness as an idea and their experience of blackness. This study was based on the premise that the experience of blackness caused a strong desire for freedom in the consciousness of the Africans who were brought to the Americas.

In order to develop a clearer understanding of the connection between experience and the modalities used by each writer to accomplish their goal it was necessary to approach this study through a critical method rooted in an Afrocentric paradigm. This paradigm also aided in gaining a better visualization of the desired goal of each writer. This study was qualitative in nature, using Afrocentric methods of interpretation concentrating on the African Freedom Aesthetic to extract the purpose and means through which consciousness was used in the writings of the research subjects.

This researcher found that both Thurman and Newton subscribed to the belief that in order for there to be a transformation in the lifestyle of blacks there would need to be a shift in the consciousness such that blacks could transcend the ill effects of living in a society which tolerated blacks but never embraced their humanity. The conclusion drawn from these findings suggests that confluence existed in the fact that both men believed that a change in consciousness gives the individual and community the ability to transcend the lived experience.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Anthony Sean Nealhas a Doctorate of Arts in Humanities with an emphasis in African American Philosophy and Religion from Clark Atlanta University (the program converted to a Ph.D. in Humanities during his last semester). Anthony has taught at Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Point University, and currently Paine College.

Paine College will celebrate Religious Emphasis Week March 15th - March 21st. Religious Emphasis Week provides the Paine College community with an opportunity to express and celebrate our faith in God. This year’s theme is 2 Chronicles 7:14 - "Prayer Changes Things". The week began with the Sunday Morning Worship Service, “Anointed Women of Wesley Fellowship honoring Women in the Bible through Worship”. There are number of events planned throughout the week. The community can expect lectures, seminars, and student forums and informal discussions with students, faculty members, and speakers.

Interim President, Dr. Samuel Sullivan, announced that Paine College will observe a Day of Prayer during Religious Emphasis Week. During the Day of Prayer, the College will host a special prayer service that will take place on March 18, 2015. The Department of Religious Life will host the prayer service in the Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel at 11:00 a.m. The guest speaker will be Reverend Dr. Vance P. Ross, Senior Pastor of Gordon Memorial Church, in Nashville, Tennessee.

During this special prayer service, members of the faith-based community and the College’s constituents (faculty, staff, students, parents, trustees and friends) will be invited to pray for the well-being and overall health of the institution. Also, religious leaders, alumni and friends will have an opportunity to present donations in support of the Together, We Can Campaign that is designed to address immediate needs for the College. The public is invited to participate.

For more information about this event, please contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 706.396.7591, Tjwilliams@paine.edu.

Today, Paine College officials held a press conference to announce a grant award of $887,796 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address substance abuse, HIV, and HCV infections on campus and in the surrounding community. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) officially gave notice of the proposal’s acceptance in September 2014 with funding spanning 3 years to allow program development and intensive intervention work. The program, Paine College: Informing, Developing and Educating through Active Learning (PC-IDEAL), seeks to bring fresh and relevant health education and intervention to the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA).

The PC-IDEAL project uses a collaborative model to build community capacity to reduce substance abuse and the incidence of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C infection and related problems. Additionally, these funds allow further integration of intervention services on the Paine College Campus and within the surrounding community.

Paine College has partnered with the New Bethlehem Community Center, Inc. to extend the scope and effectiveness of services provided to 18-24 year olds through the grant. Since its founding in 1912, the New Bethlehem Community Center has provided social services to residents and improved the daily lives of families and individuals in the CSRA.

Among the attendees were representatives of the New Bethlehem Community Center and officials from the City of Augusta. Mayor Hardie Davis applauded the collaborative mission and stated, “Our community is reminded of the role Paine College and the New Bethlehem Community Center have historically played to support the community and people who live beyond the boundaries of the College.” “It is important that these institutions continue to thrive as their successes are integral to the fabric of the greater success of our community.”

Dr. Lawanda Cummings, the principal investigator of the PC:IDEAL project and chair of the Social Sciences Department, said that she hoped to bring the expertise of the department into spaces where it benefited Paine and the larger community. “Through efforts of faculty, students, health educators and relevant partners, we are creating spaces and opportunities that promote better health outcomes and choices among young people in the CSRA,” said Dr. Cummings.”

Ms. Millicent E. West, an experienced health educator and counselor, will serve as the Program Coordinator for the PC-IDEAL project. Ms. West, the former Director of Student Activities and Residence Life at Paine College, stated that she understood first-hand how peer pressure impacted risky behavior that led to chronic diseases in young people. “We must continue to have conversations with college students and young adults about taking responsibility and thinking beyond the moment,” said Ms. West.

“Millicent West’s role is critical to the daily operations of the project and as the former Executive Director of the New Bethlehem Community Center, Inc., she brings a wealth of skill and knowledge that will benefit this initiative,” said Dr. Cummings.

Mr. Geno Clark, Director of Sponsored Programs, negotiated the award process and participated in the collaboration. “The SAMHSA grant will strengthen the participating partners’ mission to address, prevent, and reduce substance abuse and HIV in the community,” commented Mr. Clark. “I look forward to developing additional opportunities for external funding that build collaborations in support of addressing health disparities in the CSRA.”

For more information about the PC-IDEAL project, please contact the Office of Communications & Marketing at 706.396.7591 or via email:tjwilliams@paine.edu.